Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Message Board older than one year ago

We'll have to wait a bit, but we'll get the superior version... until Square Enix gives Japan the inevitable Final Mix.

Kingdom Hearts and PSP remained atop the Media Create weekly sales charts this week. New Super Mario Bros. Wii crossed the three million mark.

Nintendo's year-end dominance comes to an end thanks to Birth by Sleep.

Some swords are more than just swords. This sword is a key.

An Aqua battle from the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

Evil lurks on a dark tropical beach, but a transformation will occur in this opening cinematic.

The music video from the opening of the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

The latest portable iteration of Squeenix's keyblade-wielding franchise, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, also known as "Not The Card-Battling One" or "Not The One With The Stupid Numbers On The Title," recently got released in Japan. Without hesitation, its purchasers set to capturing its visual delights, which they then posted on the internet. One such delight is the game's intro video, which we've posted after the jump. As you might've guessed, it's rich with spiky-haired children wielding weapons bigger than they are, slow-motion running, and that one song that's been in every Kingdom Hearts game ever. It was even in the Kingdom Hearts manga, which is impressive as books typically aren't capable of playing music. [Via Siliconera]

Enjoy a 7 minute montage of footage from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep featuring new characters to the series!

You might have noticed a serious dearth of Disney characters speaking in Japanese on Joystiq lately -- we sure have, and it's just tearing us to bits inside. Thankfully, Square Enix seems to have taken note as well, recently updating the Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep website with more than just wallpapers (though you'll find three of those on there, too). How about the entire seven-minute-long trailer from Jump Festa 2010? We've embedded it above, though if you're dying to know what the people in it are actually saying, we suggest you check out the full translation right here. And then, once you have it in English, you might ask your nearest Kingdom Hearts fan to translate further. Gallery: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep [Thanks, G. Finnsson]

Voice actor's Twitter account hints at the possibility.

It may seem like an unlikely source for video game news, but pop singer Jesse McCartney's Twitter account has confirmed the localization of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. Square Enix hasn't announced a US release for the PSP prequel, but considering the franchise's penchant for making money, it certainly was never in doubt. Birth by Sleep would be McCartney's third foray into the Kingdom Hearts universe, having previously voiced Roxas in Kingdom Hearts II and 358/2 Days. Kingdom Hearts Union suggests that McCartney may be voicing Birth By Sleep's "new" character, Ventus (pictured, right) -- y'know, the one that looks exactly like Roxas (pictured, left). Gallery: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

There's a rumor circulating around the wild wild web right now that says Square Enix may not be looking to offer Kingdom of Hearts: Birth by Sleep via digital distribution on PSN, possibly adding insult to injury for all PSP Go owners out there. The rumor originated from Twitter user Magunus, who apparently attended a recent PlayStation event in Japan (we can't figure out which event this is referring to, and there's no mention on the official Japanese blog) where a clerk confirmed it, citing "copyright issues." This strikes us as odd not only because of the tenuous nature by which this has been reported, but because a lot of Disney Interactive's titles have been made available via digital distribution in the past. We've contacted both Square Enix and Disney Interactive about this and will be sure to let you know what we hear back. [Via Sankaku Complex (site NSFW)]

Silver, black, and decked out in Kingdom Hearts logos.

When the keyblade isn't quite enough, you've simply got to pack a bigger punch.

For every unassuming pathway, there must be an ambush.

Three Final Fantasy favorites brandish the legendary keyblades.

The Tokyo Game Show trailer finally makes it to American shores.

The saga continues in early January for our friends overseas.

The new PSP version hits Japan in January.

Exhibit A: Image, left. The creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, Hironobu Sakaguchi. Observe the slightly arched brow. The dark, even surfer's tan. The exquisite mustache and soul patch combo. The look of general disinterest. Exhibit B: Image, right. The recently revealed character from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, Master Eraquis. Observe the similarly bowed eyebrows. The sunkissed skin tone. The Guy Fawkes-esque facial hair. The consternated expression. What do you think, dearest readers? Is it a cameo, or pure coincidence? We're leaning towards the former. We mean, just look at those eyebrows. Look at them! At the very least, they're identical eyebrow twins. [Via Andriasang]

We got to try Kingdom Hearts PSP at TGS. Jealous? Here's a peek!

We got to try Kingdom Hearts PSP at TGS. Jealous? Here's a peek!

According to RPG Site, a recent V-Jump article on Squeenix and Disney's upcoming PSP collaboration Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep revealed an intriguing facet of the spiky-haired title: It includes a three-player cooperative mode using the handheld's ad hoc capabilities. The co-op mode pits players against the "Mirage Arena," which allows Keyblade-wielders to tackle standalone co-op missions, or set up multiplayer rematches against the core game's toughest bosses. In addition, Mirage Arena visitors will have special protective abilities with which to heal their friends or bolster their defenses. It sounds like a pretty interesting feature -- and should placate PSP owners who've been miffed about 358/2 Days' multiplayer mode. No reason to get upset gang! At least your game's title isn't completely ridiculous. Gallery: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

Some problems you just have to solve by throwing down the gloves.